"Huh? A bomb!" Genta exclaimed.
Haibara Ai stood at the very back and said leisurely, "Although your observation is very sharp, if it were a bomb, the police officers from the bomb disposal squad would be wearing protective gear. They wouldn't be unpacking boxes so casually."
Conan stared at the 'Leopard Express' logo and lettering on the truck, his eyes filled with doubt and curiosity.
As long as there was a channel, the bounty hunter July's fetish for 'delivering home deliveries' was no longer a secret, and he had a particular fondness for Leopard Express.
Considering the Police were cautious yet weren't carrying any bomb disposal equipment, it was indeed possible that this was a 'Home Delivery' from July.
But looking at the wooden strips and cardboard piled aside, it seemed they had already unpacked quite a few boxes. No matter what, it's impossible for someone to deliver several wanted criminals all at once, right?
If wanted criminals were that easy to find, the Police wouldn't need to issue wanted warrants.
Is the Police Headquarters planning to replace its desks and chairs?
But judging by the police officers' vigilance as they opened the boxes, that didn't seem likely either...
Haibara Ai also noticed something was off and asked Conan in a low voice, "Is it that bounty hunter?"
"I'm not sure either," Conan paused for a moment. "It's possible."
Haibara Ai understood. She also couldn't be sure of the answer because of the large quantity, but she didn't dwell on it for long. "Doesn't that person worry that someone might impersonate him using the same method to send a bomb to the Police Headquarters..."
"He wouldn't," Conan said without hesitation. "To get the bounty, he would definitely contact the Police in advance to inform them to receive the Home Delivery. The Police wouldn't easily believe in things delivered without any prior contact, and they would handle it as if they were dismantling an explosive when opening it."
"Hello," Wataru Takagi came out from the main gate to greet them. "Excuse me, are you Doctor Agasa? I'm Takagi from Investigation Division One. I will take you and the children inside to give your statements."
Doctor Agasa turned his head to look. "Ah, hello, I am Doctor Agasa."
"Then, there's also Mr. Chi..." Wataru Takagi glanced at his watch and looked up to see a red car driving over.
Chi Feichi rolled down the car window. "There was a bit of a traffic jam on the way. I'm not late, am I?"
"Not at all," Wataru Takagi said with a smile. "I just came out myself!"
Chi Feichi gave a calm nod and said no more, driving to the parking lot.
Wataru Takagi smiled, but inwardly he sighed faintly.
He had been moving the home deliveries this morning and thought he wouldn't be the one taking statements. He was even a little happy about it, since at least he wouldn't have to face Chi Feichi, a man who wouldn't say two sentences if one would suffice.
Unexpectedly, there were three more cases today that required a police response. Coupled with the need for people to unpack the home deliveries, they were severely short-staffed, so the task of taking statements fell to him after all.
Indeed, it was a day that required hard work...
After Chi Feichi parked the car, Wataru Takagi handed out passes and led the group into the Police Headquarters Building.
After pinning the passes to their clothes, the three children completely surrounded Chi Feichi.
"Brother Chi, Conan said you went to Hokkaido..."
"Uh-huh. I brought you gifts and had them sent to the Doctor's place."
"Let's go get them later!"
"Yay!"
It's edible.
"Brother Chi, did Feichi come?"
"No, it's at home sleeping."
"Huh? Still sleeping during the daytime?"
"Red-Banded Kraits like to sleep during the day and are only active at night."
Chi Feichi was lying with a straight face. While the habits of a Red-Banded Krait were indeed like that, Feichi was simply tired from running around all last night.
He could pull an all-nighter to adjust his own work and rest schedule, but he would let Feichi get a good sleep.
Watching Chi Feichi's constantly indifferent face, Conan couldn't help but mutter in a low voice, "I never thought his kind of personality would be popular with children..."
"It's because he seems very reliable, I suppose," Haibara Ai said, walking aside. She had no desire to squeeze in with a group of children. "He gives you a sense of security."
"Pfft!" Conan burst out laughing, thinking Haibara Ai was making a sarcastic remark about Chi Feichi's perpetually cold face. "You're right, too. It is a great sense of security!"
Haibara Ai didn't say a word. She had been serious.
"Then can you bring Feichi out to play with us some other day?" Ayumi asked, tugging on Chi Feichi.
"Feichi is amazing at playing games, we want to challenge it again," said Mitsuhiko. "Also, we want to invite it to join the Junior Detective League!"
Conan stumbled and turned back, saying, "Hey, hey, don't just make decisions on your own, okay? Feichi is a snake..."
"But, Feichi is amazing at playing games!" Ayumi argued earnestly on Feichi's behalf.
"That's right," Genta insisted. "So what if it's a snake? It can be our Junior Detective League's group mascot!"
Chi Feichi: "..."
What the hell, a group mascot!
Feichi was his pet, and absolutely not for loan!
Conan knew he couldn't win an argument against the three kids, so he turned to ask Wataru Takagi, "Hey, Officer Takagi, what kind of Home Delivery are those police officers unpacking outside the main gate? You have a ring of dark dust above your sleeve, and it's a bit dirtier on the inner side of your arm. It must be from when you rolled up your sleeves while moving things earlier, right?"
The three children immediately shifted their attention.
"Officer Takagi, a button is missing from your cuff!"
"And there's a mark on the leg of your pants from being snagged on something..."
"So, Officer Takagi, you were helping earlier. You definitely know what's in those boxes, right?"
Wataru Takagi quickly looked down at his clothes, scratching his head with a laugh. "Uh... those are chairs that the Police Headquarters is replacing."
"Oh, so that's all it was..."
The three children were placated.
Only then did Haibara Ai walk to Chi Feichi's side and reach out to tug on the hem of his clothes.
Chi Feichi cooperated, falling back to the rear of the group.
"The detection result for that blood sample you gave me is out," Haibara Ai said softly. "77% of it matches the Mojave subspecies of raven. The remaining 23% has no similarities with any genes in the world's raven DNA genetic database. It should be a gene mutation."
"What kind of impact will the mutated gene have on its body?" Chi Feichi asked.
"Congenital iris pigment deficiency. The irises of the Mojave subspecies of raven are dark brown, just like most eyes in Asia, so they appear blackish," Haibara Ai subconsciously looked up at Chi Feichi's eyes. "Influenced by the gene, its eyes might be red, and in extremely rare cases, purple irises might appear..."
Chi Feichi turned his head away. "..."
Just say it, why are you looking at me...
Haibara Ai secretly smiled, then feigned a serious expression. "Additionally, its lifespan might be longer than that of a normal crow. In a cage or a protected environment, the longest known lifespan for a raven is 40 years. In the wilderness, the average is 10 to 15 years. It might be able to live to be 50 to 60 years old."
Chi Feichi listened in silence. It seemed Feimo's mutated gene could indeed extend its life.
However, Haibara Ai's data-based judgment was still off; Feimo's lifespan was much longer than fifty or sixty years.
Haibara Ai continued, "Its body will also be better than a typical crow's. In terms of both strength and body shape, it could be close to that of an eagle."
"Its body shape is no different from other crows," Chi Feichi said, recalling and making a comparison. "Among known raven body types, it's actually on the smaller side."
"Of course it is," Haibara Ai said with her hands behind her back, her tone mature. "Judging from the DNA comparison, it's still just a child."
Chi Feichi remained silent.
That's a child that has lived for at least a hundred years, to the point where it doesn't want to live anymore...
"It's also a very healthy child. The blood sample carried no pathogens, and the mutated gene hasn't caused any diseases," Although Haibara Ai wasn't particularly fond of creatures like crows, she didn't want to object since Chi Feichi wanted to keep it. "If you're going to keep it, I'll organize the detailed test report. We'll also need Doctor Agasa to find a registered research lab to stamp a seal on it, so you can get the relevant pet certificates made. You can come pick it up tomorrow afternoon."
"I don't have time tomorrow," Chi Feichi said. "I'm planning on an early graduation. I have theory exams scheduled for the entire day tomorrow."
Haibara Ai frowned. "Isn't that a bit too rushed? A tight schedule can easily lead to excessive mental pressure. The Doctor should have told you not to be under too much pressure and to pay attention to getting enough rest..."
Chi Feichi's tone was still calm. "There's no pressure."
Given his situation, he might not even be able to get a professional qualification. He just wanted to put an end to his university career as soon as possible. If he missed this opportunity, he would have to wait until next year.
(End of Chapter)